


Strawberries Beneath the Night Sky

by kuhleesi



Series: Hiraya One Shots [6]
Category: Karanduun, Karanduun - Hiraya
Genre: Body Worship, F/M, idek anymore im writing this while sleep deprived
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 08:02:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26349784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuhleesi/pseuds/kuhleesi
Summary: A picnic before the final battle.
Relationships: Asterio Calag/Cristala Dizon, Tala/Asterio, Talasterio
Series: Hiraya One Shots [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1900120
Kudos: 2





	Strawberries Beneath the Night Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Imagine this happening on the night before the final big bad boss battle. Like the final scene with your LI in a Bioware romance.
> 
> Recommended song to listen to while reading:
> 
> 1\. Dress by Taylor Swift  
> I personally headcanon Dress and Wildest Dreams as mirror songs, sort of, that evoke the same dreamy vibe. The difference is really in the lyrics.
> 
> Which is why Wildest Dreams works for Reza while Dress works for Asterio. 
> 
> 2\. Every Kind of Way by H.E.R  
> "If the world should end tomorrow and we only have today, I'm gonna love you in every kind of way."

There were promises that Asterio knew he had broken but this was one he was sure he did not want to. So, in the peace before the choas, before the final battle, before their lives may come to an end, he took her back to the town. Without the threat of creatures that would eat them all up looming nearby, he could see the small barrio for what it was.

Tranquil, safe, beautiful.

There were very few lights, and they were far from the city, far from the Kampanaryo, far from their responsibilities and the noise. It would just be him and her and the memories between them.

Tala’s hair was tied up in a ponytail to keep her hair from her face, her bangs brushing just over her eyes, and she was in a flowing dress that swayed in the wind. No matter how many times he looked at her, he still sometimes couldn’t believe she wasn’t a fever dream, a figment of his desperate imaginations.

“This is pretty far for a picnic, Asterio.” She said, nudging him playfully as she held an ecobag filled with food they both made. Asterio quickly reached for it so her hands could be free.

“I promised you I would take you here. I didn’t want that to be one of the promises I would break again.” He said, and she gave him an understanding smile.

Like the last time they were here, the barrio was quiet. Asterio couldn’t help but think this may be the last time he’d ever hear this kind of comfortable silence. Tomorrow, they would fight. And the Hiraya had already come to accept that it may be their last day. The enemy they would be facing will be the strongest one yet.

“Hey, Asterio.” He turned and there was a brief flash of light and a click. He blinked his eyes to clear them and when his vision returned to normal, Tala was walking towards him with a polaroid in hand.

“You need to stop doing that.” He said as she handed him his picture. He had a distracted look in his eyes in the photo, but in the background was the clear night sky and the flowers near the path they were walking on.

“Well, you need to stop looking good in every single photo I take of you. You look handsome even in these stolen shots. It’s not fair.” She said, before walking ahead of him to take more photos along the way.

They ended up in a secluded part of the barrio that was surrounded by the kind of flowers that only grew there. Still not a single soul in sight, and it was dark but at least the stars above them gave them light, and the moon bathed Tala’s skin in a silver glow.

“I have ham and cheese and I have cheese donuts. Which do you want?” She said, holding two different pastries in front of him.

 _You, Tala._ The thought came unbidden.

“Cheese donut.” He reached out to take it but was surprised when she leaned in close and fed him instead. He took a bite of the soft bread and looked up at her to find her smiling at him. This was one of her baked goods. And, like always, it tasted like heaven and sunshine.

She took a bite of the donut as well and leaned back to look up at the stars.

“Not a lot of clouds tonight. You can see all of the stars so clearly. It’s so beautiful.”

 _Yes. Yes, it’s beautiful._ Asterio thought, eyes trained on her profile. It was like he wanted to sear this moment in time of her forever in his mind. Her eyes, her nose, her lips. She had powdered sugar on her lips that was distracting him. He tried to shake himself back to awareness with conversation.

“I’m gonna miss this.” He said, “Comfort food, the wind on my skin, your company.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, and those doe eyes went from the stars to him, her eyebrows furrowed with concern.

“We might not live after tomorrow.” He said.

“Why would you say that?” She frowned, putting the donut down on a paper plate.

“We might have to fight for our lives and I may not make it.”

“That won’t happen. I won’t let that happen.” She said. “Asterio, we’re gonna live. And when we do, this will all be over.”

“How can you be sure that if tomorrow does end well for us that no other stupid shit comes up and tries to kill us and we keep doing this all over again?”

“Well, then, it happens again. And we defeat it again. And we keep fighting if we have to. There’ll come a day when it all ends. The world can’t hold that much evil. It would have ended a long time ago if it did.” She said. “Stop worrying, you idiot.”

He was shaken out of his negative thoughts when she threw a strawberry his way. It bounced off his chest and he caught it in his palm.

“That was a dirty move!” He laughed, throwing it at her. Apparently, he misjudged how hard he threw and muscle memory was hard to shake off. It hit her face, and she cried out in pain and turned away from him.

“Ow!”

Oh, great. Just great. Fuck up a nice picnic under the night sky, why don’t you, Asterio?

“Oh, my God. Tala, I’m sorry.” He said, immediately scooting up to her to check. He may have hit her eye, he couldn’t see in the darkness.

“Owww.” She hissed, and he scooted closer. The moment his hand landed on her shoulder, he felt the wind get knocked out of him and he fell back on the picnic blanket. There was a sudden weight on top of him and winded, he looked up to find Tala straddling him with a victorious smile.

“Gotcha!”

“I thought I hurt you!” He whined.

“It was a strawberry, Asterio. It won’t kill me.”

“Ever heard of death by tickles?”

“What? No—Aah!” She shrieked as his fingers suddenly dug at the sides of her waist. She let out a breathless laughter and tried to push off of him as he began to tickle her. With her thoroughly distracted, he used that as his opportunity to twist her around so that he was on top of her and she was on the ground.

“Stop! Stop! White flag, I surrender!” She gasped in between giggles, pushing his hand away. He obliged and she sighed as her laughter died down. He couldn’t help but think about how beautiful she was laid down in front of him, her hair fanned out around her. She reached up to his mouth, holding out the strawberry he had thrown her way a few moments ago.

“Okay, seriously. Open up.” She said, and he opened his mouth as she pushed the strawberry between his teeth. He bit down, letting the sweet and tangy juice of the strawberry coat his tongue. When he bit down and pulled away his lips brushed against her fingers.

“These are good strawberries!” He said, reaching out for the tupperware where more strawberries were found. “Try it.”

This time, it was Asterio feeding her, and she took a delicate bite. When her lips brushed against his fingers, he felt a jolt of electricity go up his entire arm.

“Mm. You’re right.” She said, and he couldn’t help but watch her lips as she said it. She still had powdered sugar on them from the donut earlier.

“Asterio?” She said.

“Hm?” Was the only sound that came out of him. Before he knew it, he had reached out to run his thumb over her bottom lip to wipe away the sugar. She froze, her face reddening.

“Can I kiss you?” He didn’t even think before the words came out of his mouth.

Tala blushed a shade deeper. But her response made him almost lose his senses then and there. His thumb was still on her lips, and she wrapped them around his thumb and sucked, her tongue running along his skin. He tasted sweet, like sugar and strawberries.

When she pulled away, he leaned down and very gently laid his lips on hers. She raised her chin to meet his lips and pulled him closer, and Asterio felt his control slipping away. If Tala kept this up…

“Asterio.” She moaned against his lips as his hand traveled down her waist to pull her closer.

If this was going to be his last night on earth, this was exactly where he wanted to be. With Tala beneath him, hands tangled in his hair, dress slipping down her smooth skin, sliding down from her knee to her thigh to her waist as he pulled at the delicate fabric.

He slid his tongue between her lips and she opened her mouth for him with no hesitation. Despite being out in the open like this, Tala felt safe in Asterio’s arms. She’s always felt safe in his arms. They were home to her, familiar, comforting, warm. Her hands pushed back the leather jacket he was wearing, and he let it fall off his arm before his hand cupped her face and nudged her head up, exposing the soft curve of her neck to him. She smelled like chocolate and vanilla.

His two favorite flavors.

His tongue glided down her jaw to her neck, to her shoulder and she gave a little gasp as he softly bit into her skin, not enough to bruise but enough to leave a mark.

She was delicious.

“Asterio.”

His name on her lips was driving him insane. Surely she could see how quickly he was losing control at her mere touch? He pulled back and reached out for another strawberry.

“Open up.” He said, and this time, she took her time biting into the strawberry, her eyes locked with his. When she took the last bit of fruit in her mouth and swallowed, she took his fingers into his mouth, licking him clean of the juices and making him imagine something else for her to put between her lips.

It really wasn’t fair how gorgeous she was.

He leaned down to capture her mouth again, tasting the strawberries on her lips, before his mouth travelled down her chin and neck. Strawberries and chocolate. That’s what Tala tasted like.

His lips traveled lower. She was wearing a wrap dress, and the neckline was a deep V. All he had to do was tug at the bow on her side and her dress fell open. He pushed the fabric aside and kissed the goosebumps that were raised against her skin when the cool night air brushed against her.

Tala tugged at the neckline of his own shirt, urging him to take it off. He helped her pull it off him before he pressed his skin against hers again and peppered her chest with feather light kisses.

“You don’t have to be so gentle, you know.” She let out a breathless laugh.

“I know. But I want to savor this. I want to savor you, and I want to taste every part of you.” He said. If this was gonna be his last night on earth…

He would want to spend it telling her how beautiful she was, how magnificent every soft curve she had was.

“I want to know if every inch of you tastes as sweet as your lips.” He said, pulling her bra up to free her breasts, his fingers traced up her stomach to her breasts, tickling her in a way that made her gasp and moan and arch her back.

When he took her soft skin in his mouth and sucked, circling his tongue gently around her nipple, Tala let out another satisfied sigh, and another gasp when he bit into her skin.

“God.” She moaned, her toes curling at the slow, sweet torture of it.

He was taking his time with her, one hand gently squeezed her breast, pinching her nipple between his fingers while his lips and tongue made a slow path from her shoulder down her arm. His free hand took hers, and he kissed her knuckles, and the tip of every finger, until it was him taking her fingers in his mouth, sucking the sugar off of them. His head lowered to flick his tongue against her nipple again before he did the same thing with her other arm, and his hand descended upon her other breast. Once again, his tongue and mouth were slow and steady.

When his head lowered, this time it was against her stomach, trailing circles around the flat skin, kissing lower and lower. His fingers slid downwards, still leaving soft tickles down her skin.

“Fuck, Asterio, you’re killing me here. Please.” She begged as he slid her panties down, to find her already wet between her legs.

“You taste…” He whispered, trailing hot breath against the skin of her inner thigh, kissing her anywhere but the spot she wanted him most, his hand now brushing over her knees and leg, “… amazing.”

“Please.”

“Turn around.”

“Fuck.” She sighed, did as was told anyway. He unhooked her bra and threw it aside. He gathered her hair in his hands and pulled up, to expose the back of her neck. He kissed that sensitive spot of hers, before he kissed down her shoulder blades and ran his tongue down her spine, and lower still. 

She cried out as he bit into the soft flesh of her ass, before he pushed her head down on the blanket, making her raise her hips higher so he had full access to the soft, intimate skin between her legs.

“Oh, God.” She moaned as he finally slipped a finger inside of her, then two, and then his tongue.

Amazing.

She tasted amazing. 

Every inch of her was pure divinity.

This time, he wasn’t slow. This time, he wasn’t gentle. This time, he marked every inch of that most sensitive part of her body as his.

Tala was so close. She could feel her legs trembling. The thrill and torture of his slow, languid movements earlier built up her desire and now was pouring out of her. She was panting for breath, calling Asterio’s name, asking him for more, until she felt an overwhelming pleasure wash over her.

Asterio raised his head from between her legs, his chin shining from a mix of his saliva and the result of her orgasm.

“Tala, you taste so good.” His voice was raspy, thick. But his fingers were still inside her, unrelenting. The hand that wasn’t working to pleasure her traveled up her ass, her back, to her shoulder. He pulled her up so that they were both kneeling on the blanket, her back pressed against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her neck and her nails dug into his arm. 

She cried out in protest when he took his fingers out of her and then almost screamed as he filled her with himself. She practically melted in his arms, her head falling back against his neck. He turned to kiss her cheek as he began to move inside her, and his other hand took hers, guiding her own hand over her body, their fingers laced together, both of them touching her throat, her breast and her stomach at the same time.

He breathed in the scent of her hair.

Vanilla.

He lowered his head to kiss her neck. 

Strawberries.

She turned her head to kiss him, moaning into his mouth.

Sugar.

If this was gonna be his last night on earth, Asterio thought, then at least it was with her.

With his diwata. 

With the one pure, beautiful creation in the world, untouched by any evil.

“Tala. Ah, fuck.” He groaned into her hair. He was coming close to the edge, so he slowed down and slowly pulled out. 

“Asterio, please.” She whispered, weakly.

“Lie back.” He said, “I want to see your face when you come.”

Oh, God. Who would have thought quiet Asterio had this in him? Tala had to remind herself to never underestimate him like that again. She did it before and she should have learned her lesson then.

When she lied back down on the blanket, his body pressed down against her, raising her legs on his shoulder before he entered her again, and he watched as she fell apart beneath him, arching her back, clutching at the blanket, begging for him to not stop, don’t ever fucking stop.

And he didn’t, until they were both overwhelmed with pleasure, unable to feel the bite of the cold air as heat simmered between them.

When they were both spent, he had an elbow propped against the ground to rest his head on his knuckles with his body turned towards her, his other hand still trailing soft tickles down her stomach and legs.

“You better fight to live tomorrow.” She said.

“I will.” Asterio said, kissing the top of her head while she scooted closer for warmth, tangling her legs with his as she pressed her face to his chest and breathed in the scent of him, listened to his heartbeat pounding against his chest.

He will, because how could he ever let her go again? He had lost her once before. He wasn’t gonna lose her a second time. He pushed all thoughts of dying or sacrifice aside. He had something to live for, now. And he was willing to fight for it.

“Asterio?”

“Hm?”

“I think our food is cold now.”

She giggled, and his laughter rumbled from his chest as he swept her in his arms and kissed her again and again and again.

**Author's Note:**

> luh ang romantiqúe.


End file.
